Suddenly Bats and Balls Mean Something Else
by Lex Complex
Summary: Eijun's at that point in his life where hormones take over his brain and he starts seeing his friends and his teammates in a different light. A collection of short one-shots featuring various Eijun pairings. LATEST CHAPTER: "a little bit crowded" (Wakana)
1. it starts with a funny feeling

**This first chapter is just an intro of sorts. The next one is when we actually look at a specific pairing. I still don't know which pair, though. Maybe I'll go with the order in this intro.**

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He's been feeling weird lately. A funny feeling that starts at the tip of his fingers as he winds up for one of his fastballs, and then it quickly moves to the pit of his stomach as the ball lands on the catcher's mitt and he sees Chris' smiling face telling him he's improving. There's a life in his senior's eyes that wasn't there when they first met. He can't help but find them beautiful—his smile and his eyes—though Eijun will never say this out loud.

The funny feeling continues in his dorm room, every time Kuramochi decides to try out a new wrestling move on him and the heat from their bodies touching leaves him lightheaded. Then his roommate tackles him onto the bed and the funny feeling moves from his stomach to between his legs. He notices the sophomore looming over him, toting a sinister grin, no doubt contemplating which technique to test out next. Kuramochi is unaware Eijun's thinking of other things—things the pitcher can never say out loud.

It goes on until the next day, while Miyuki casually scoops up pieces of meat from Eijun's plate, oblivious of the fact that his underclassman is preoccupied with the scent of his cologne. The funny feeling sinks towards Eijun's feet, tempting him to stand up and run away because he doesn't know how to deal with it—doesn't know how to deal with Miyuki. He still hasn't forgotten the time he made the catcher angry, and it takes a lot of willpower to look him in the eyes. When Eijun does look, however, looking away is next to impossible.

The funny feeling flies right back up to his heart during practice when he sees Haruichi flustered, still uncomfortable with being called "Harucchi" even when it sounds marginally the same. The way the small boy tries to hide his embarrassment behind his hair brings a smile to Eijun's face. Then Furuya comes along with some smart comment and he wants to borrow Harucchi's bat to clobber him. His fellow pitcher smirks, smug in a way that he finds both annoying and endearing.

The only time Eijun is free of this weird sensation is when he's touching himself, though it comes back just as quickly whenever his roommates shoot him knowing looks as he comes out of the bathroom. Masuko smiles at him between spoonfuls of pudding and Kuramochi looks like he's trying hard not to crack a joke. Eijun ignores them as best he can and settles beside the shortstop, picking up the controller and continuing the game where they had left off. He has resigned himself to the fact that he'll be feeling this way for a long time. He might as well start getting used to it.

**Reviews, especially constructive criticisms, are greatly appreciated. I'd love to hear ideas and suggestions, too. :)**


	2. warm hands and a warmer smile

From under the shade of a large tree overlooking the field, Ejiun watches as the second-string players run their final laps for the day, bathed in the glow of the late sunset. Behind him, a stern voice calls his attention.

Trapezius, quadriceps, deltoids, pectorals—Eijun listens as Chris explains all the different muscles he could have strained from his recklessness, all the muscles that could have ended his baseball career before it even started. The freshman would normally heed his senior's advice, take down notes even, but right now all Eijun can think about are Chris' hands and how _damn _good it feels to be touched by them.

Every hair on Eijun's body stands as he feels Chris' breath on his neck, the tip of the older boy's nose brushing against his skin, that small point of contact enough to overload his senses. Chris' hands travel up and down the length of his back, palms kneading and fingers squeezing, and if this massage couldn't get rid of Eijun's fatigue, the adrenaline rush surely would.

"Sorry, I'm not very good at this," Chris admits.

"No, senpai, it feels great! But you, uh, don't really have to do this, you know." Eijun mentally kicks himself as soon as the words leave his mouth. If possible, he wouldn't want this moment to end.

Chris doesn't answer, propping himself against the trunk of the tree instead, beckoning Eijun close. The pitcher reluctantly turns around, now sitting face-to-face with his mentor, hoping the shade and the fading daylight would hide the blood rushing to his cheeks. Chris places his hands on either side of Eijun's shoulders, giving a light squeeze before resuming his regular massage rhythm. With the setting sun casting shadows across the catcher's face, Eijun finds it hard to make out his expression, but he could almost swear Chris is smiling fondly at him.

"Senpai…"

'Hm?"

'Thanks."

"Well, we can't have you tearing a ligament now, can we? Make sure you warm up properly next time, Sawamura. Don't end up like me."

Don't end up like me—Chris' cold words contrast the warmth of his hands, and somehow this pisses Eijun off. He makes it sound like he's such a bad person.

"But I _want_ to be like you, senpai."

"You want to graduate in the second-string with an injured arm and broken dreams?"

"What? No! I want to be a person who never gives up and helps other people realize their full potential and—" He stops when he hears Chris laughing. Chris Yū Takigawa, actually _laughing_, and Eijun thinks it's the most beautiful sound he's heard all day.

"I was kidding. But thanks for the compliment."

Eijun didn't think it was possible to blush any harder, but he does and he lowers his head in embarrassment. If he had looked up to meet his senpai's eyes instead, Eijun might've noticed the older boy flustered as well, and that Chris _is_, in fact, smiling fondly at him. If Eijun had paid more attention, he might've noticed that Chris had been smiling at him the entire day.


	3. call it compensation

The first thing Eijun hears every morning is Kuramochi's laughter—a grating cackle that makes him want to unceremoniously hurl a shoe in his senpai's face. He doesn't, of course, but it makes for an amusing fantasy.

"Sawamura, your girlfriend says good morning. You dawg!" the shortstop coos, one arm wrapped around Eijun's neck in a chokehold, the other busy fiddling with his phone. His roommate's fresh from the shower, naked except for a towel lazily wrapped around the waist, and Eijun's mind is going back and forth between how much of an ass Kuramochi is for going through his phone and how nice he smells and dammit _stop_ thinking about that.

"I told you, quit replying to her."

"I will when I get a babe of my own."

"But that's never gonna hap—I mean… Crap."

Kuramochi knits his eyebrows, glaring daggers at Eijun as he cracks his knuckles. "Crap is right, bastard. Think you're so hot 'cause you got a girl? Get over here!"

"She's just a childhood—Gyah!" Kuramochi slips behind Eijun in one fluid motion, hooking both arms under the pitcher's armpits, clasping his hands around Eijun's nape. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I tap out!"

They wrestle on the bed for a good half-hour until a knock comes on the door and a yawning Miyuki Kazuya, some semblance of bedhead still visible, walks in. "You guys were taking so long to breakfast they sent me to—Oh. _Oh_." A wicked smile spreads across his face.

It's a very compromising position, to say the least. Eijun is on his back, legs parted to accommodate Kuramochi lying on top of him, their arms tangled around each other's torsos, faces centimeters away from touching. The freshman's flushed complexion and the sophomore's state of undress aren't exactly help their case, either.

"I see," Miyuki mutters. "Guess there's still time for a quickie. I'll lock the door for you." With that, he leaves.

Kuramochi erupts in outrage and promptly chases after the catcher. "Miyuki, you little—get back here! Don't you dare tell the others that!"

"At least put some clothes on first!" Eijun calls out in vain.

That morning will go down as one of Kuramochi's most memorable (and most embarrassing) moments in high school.

Later that day, as Eijun retreats to their room after some post-practice mentoring sessions with Chris, he notices Kuramochi asleep on _his _bed, holding _his _phone. Masuko is suspiciously missing, though the pile of empty pudding containers on his bed makes it safe to assume he went out to buy more.

"Jeez, if you're gonna sleep, do it in your own bed," Eijun grumbles even though he knows his roommate can't hear him. He picks up the phone and opens an unread text message.

_I'm glad to hear you're working hard and getting along with your teammates. We're doing great over here, too. Let's both do our best, 'kay?_

Eijun checks the sent messages, thankful that his senpai lacks the common sense to delete them. This is when he notices all of them are free from the douchebaggery that is expected of Kuramochi, and that they, surprisingly, all sound like things Eijun would actually say. For a moment he forgets to breathe, trying to wrap his mind around the possibility of Kuramochi—_Kuramochi freaking Youichi_—not taking advantage of the situation to make him look like an idiot.

Eijun laughs, overcome by a complicated mix of relief, irony, and gratitude. He peers at his roommate's face, uncharacteristically innocent when sleeping, almost the face of someone you could trust. Eijun's thoughts go back and forth between how he's now faced with the impossible task of saying thank you and how damn loud Kuramochi snores.

He finds himself smiling. Maybe he won't thank the idiot just yet, make him jealous about the whole girlfriend thing a little bit longer. Call it compensation for all the wresting moves used on him—they fucking _hurt_.

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**To Leafy: THANK YOU VERY MUCH for the review. That moment you're talking about is when Chris is helping Sawamura with his pitching form, right? I also thought he was "groping his butt" back then. Real smooth, Chris. XD**


	4. like an old married couple

**To Kiara: Gosh, I'm not that good but thank you for the compliment! :D Really happy to hear you liked it. And yeah, Chris and Eijun are just fifty shades of cute, aren't they? :p**

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"You look like you're about to die, Sawamura. Hurry up and get it over with," Miyuki teases during breakfast, a playful grin on his face, snickering in a way that's only slightly less obnoxious than Kuramochi's laugh. "I'm just joking; don't make that face. Here, you can have my carrots as an apology."

"Stop giving me the food you don't like!" Eijun hisses, though his protest comes out weak in the drone of the conversations around him. He's been in Seidou for a while now but he still hasn't fully grasped just how many members their baseball team has. The dining area might as well be an auditorium.

"It's hard to hear yourself with all the people talking, isn't it?" Miyuki says as if reading his thoughts. "Any one of these guys can take your spot on the first string. Makes you wanna work harder, right? Especially for that guy's sake."

Miyuki gestures with his fork toward a table on the far end of the room, where Chris sits between Tanba and Tetsu, laughing at something the ace pitcher said. Eijun just nods in agreement, his mind caught up in the fact that Chris seems to only show this side to Tanba. Suddenly the distance between their tables becomes an accurate analogy for their relationship, that cheesy "so near yet so far" feeling he thought only happened to people in books and movies.

"And you're not paying attention to me," he hears Miyuki grumble. "You and Furuya are the same."

The catcher puts on a half-baked pout—a childish pursing of his lips that Eijun finds strangely adorable. Shit, if he's thinking Miyuki, of all people, is _adorable _then he must have not gotten enough sleep last night.

"Well," Miyuki says, his pout dissolving into a grin, bits of rice stuck to his teeth, "you won't have a choice but to pay attention to me today."

"Why's that?"

"Chris-senpai's scheduled for a physical check-up this morning, so I'll be supervising your training today."

"So Miyuki-senpai's going to catch my pitches…"

"Hey, don't say that with such a disappointed face! I bet you're thinking 'But you're not Chris-senpai,' aren't you?"

Eijun averts his eyes but the look on his face is all the answer Miyuki needs. He proceeds to steal some food off of Eijun's plate and the pair bicker until Furuya sits down between them, noting how they behave like an old married couple. The two quickly shift gears and make it a point to annoy Furuya for the rest of the morning.

Somewhere between receiving last-minute reminders about Eijun's training regimen from Chris and seeing him off, Miyuki makes a passing comment about how Eijun keeps forgetting he's older and doesn't treat him with nearly the same respect as the other upperclassmen.

"Aren't you just misunderstanding?" Chris remarks. "There's no lack of respect on Sawamura's part; he just has a different way of showing it. It means he's comfortable around you. And can you honestly tell me you'd rather have him acting all stiff and formal?"

"Well, no. That wouldn't be fun."

Chris smiles and Miyuki notices how he's been doing that more often lately, ever since he played that second-string game. No, ever since he met EIjun. "Sawamura looks up to you as much as any of his other seniors, perhaps even more. He likes you, so don't worry about it too much." Leaving Miyuki to ponder these words, Chris sets off for the hospital.

"Like, huh?" Miyuki mutters to himself, trying to figure out just what, exactly, _like_ means in the context of Sawamura Eijun. "I guess I like him, too. I like messing with him, that is." A mischievous smile can be seen on Miyuki's face as he makes his way back to the field.


	5. running after the moon

**To kirsi: Thanks for the review! I'm not gonna stop anytime soon, don't worry. :D**

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It's the third time, Eijun assumes, that he's gone for an evening stroll around the campus only to end up on the field, watching Furuya make laps around the diamond when all the other players have long retreated to their rooms. He's starting to think he does this for the sole purpose of seeing the guy. That can't be right.

"Pride," Miyuki had told Eijun once, "it's a matter of pride. You and Furuya are the same—heck, I think all baseball players are the same. We're all egoists who don't want to give up our throne. But Furuya lacks stamina, and until he shows the coach that he can stay on that mound from start to finish, he's going to have to swallow his pride and let another pitcher take over."

"So is that why you're making him run even after practice?"

"I didn't _make _him do it. Our Monster Rookie decided that all on his own. Well, that just means I have no obligation to carry his ass back to his room if he passes out from exhaustion."

"You're a twisted guy, you know that?"

"Heh, thanks. I get that all the time."

From where Eijun's standing, Furuya looks like he's running after the moon, and he has to laugh at himself because it's not like him to get all poetic. It does describe the guy perfectly, though—cool on the outside but hot on the inside, would sooner chase an impossible goal than admit defeat. Eijun fights back the urge to run alongside him, remembering his promise to Chris of not overworking himself today. But if he closes his eyes, Eijun can almost see that fierce expression on his fellow pitcher's face, and he mentally kicks himself for thinking Furuya actually looks cool when fired up.

It's only after an hour of running that fatigue finally gets the better of Furuya and he crumples to the ground. He turns so that he's lying on his back, gazing up at the sky, the full moon looking down on him like a baseball wanting to be thrown. He really just wants to play a game—he's been doing nothing but strength and endurance training for the past few days and his patience is wearing thin.

Furuya stretches out his arm, clutching his hand as if grabbing the moon, and he recalls the feeling of standing atop the mound, blood boiling and muscles tensing as he winds up for a pitch. He doesn't notice that he's been smiling until Eijun points it out.

"Nice face you got there," Eijun chides.

"Shut up," he says, quickly retracting his arm and pulling his cap over his face to hide his embarrassment.

"Here." A bottle of water lands on top of his stomach. "Thought you could use it."

Eijun lies down beside him and makes a stray comment about how the moon looks like a baseball. Funny, he was just thinking the same thing.

Furuya doesn't know how long they stay like this or how much time passes in silence but what he _does_ know is he's grateful for the other boy's company. He'll never say this out loud, of course. Eijun hands him a small plastic container with two _onigiri _inside, mumbling something about how they're leftovers from the lunch Haruno made him and how Furuya should eat something before he loses consciousness.

"Lose consciousness? Have you been talking to Miyuki-senpai?" Furuya asks. "He's been telling me to 'pass out and never wake up' lately."

"I think he's just trying to piss you off so you work harder. Still, that guy's pretty annoying sometimes."

"I won't pass out. I'm not that weak."

"I know."

"Besides, I can't lose. Not to you, not to anybody."

Furuya half-expects a loud retort involving lots of cussing and a detailed essay of why he's better, but Eijun merely chuckles. "Yeah, I know that, too. I ain't gonna lose, either."

"You're acting weird tonight."

"Says the guy smiling at the moon like a dork just a few minutes ago."

This sparks another one of their usual arguments and Furuya wouldn't have it any other way.


	6. babysitting isn't easy

Haruichi just tries to brush it off. Eijun is all sorts of touchy-feely after all, wrapping an arm around his shoulder, clapping his back playfully, even ruffling his hair like a kid on occasions. If he had to be honest, he might actually like it. Eijun's almost like a brother in this regard and Haruichi really needs a brother figure right about now. God knows he can't count on Ryosuke for that.

Eijun probably needs him as well, both in and out of the baseball field. Eijun has the fielding sense of a snail sometimes and it's usually up to Haruichi to yell out which base he's supposed to throw the ball to. It's still better than watching Jun yelling at Eijun or Kuramochi and Miyuki making fun of him. When they're not playing baseball, Haruichi can't leave Eijun alone with Furuya because the two are bound to start fighting or, more likely, Eijun is bound to start verbally harassing Furuya. Chris won't always be there to shut the hot-blooded pitcher up.

So, if Eijun's a brother to Haruichi, what is Haruichi to Eijun? He thinks it's one of those answers that take time to find. They're both still freshmen after all. At the very least they still have two years to learn all about each other. And if fortune's on their side, maybe their future baseball careers will be intertwined as well. Eijun's loud and annoying and totally tactless but that's what Haruichi loves about him, and something tells him he isn't going to get Eijun out of his life even if he tried.

"Harucchi, you also think Furuya's an idiot, don't you?"

They're fighting right on schedule. Haruichi just laughs and assumes his usual diplomatic role. He feels like a mother hen trying to keep her two chicks from pecking their eyes out. It's a tough job, but it's also one that's growing on him. Maybe he should start charging—babysitting isn't easy, you know.

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**To Anon (the guest reviewer from the previous chapter):** Thanks, I appreciate you taking the time to tell me that. It really means a lot. And I completely agree; this series isn't getting the love it deserves. I'll try to write other longer stories aside from this collection. Right now, that's about all I can do to show my support, unfortunately.


	7. bordering on obsessive

**Inspired by daiikon's "Step By Step" on Archive Of Our Own. Chris/Eijun fans should check it out.**

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Sawamura is unaware of his tendency to invade people's private spaces, especially Chris'. For the most part Chris doesn't mind, but it becomes a little worrying when the boy takes it upon himself to memorize Chris' bathing schedule and volunteers to wash his back every time. There's also the matter of Sawamura's shameless staring at his body from head to toe, especially how his eyes linger at that part hanging between Chris' legs. It's just a phase, Chris assures himself.

Because, really, how can he say no when Sawamura looks at him with those expectant eyes and that innocent smile? "Chris-senpai, let's play catch!"

"A few minutes wouldn't hurt." Chris falls for it every single time.

There isn't a day since their first and last game together that Sawamura has failed to throw a goofy grin his way and greet him good morning. On their way back to the dormitory, Sawamura races up the stairs ahead of him and waits in front of Chris' room so he can say, "Good job today, Chris-senpai, and welcome back!" There's little that Chris can do except pat the younger boy's head and answer, "I'm home." It almost makes Chris wish he never gets over this phase.

Of course it isn't all rainbows and butterflies. There's still Sawamura's ogling of Chris' body; and his unhealthy fascination with Chris' face; and his desire to eat breakfast, lunch, _and_ dinner with Chris; and his—needless to say, Sawamura can be a bit too affectionate at times. It's bordering on obsessive, really.

"Sawamura, I think we're spending a little too much time together," Chris tells him one day, finally deciding it's for the boy's own good. He's a bit unsettled at how it came out sounding eerily like a break-up line. To his surprise, Sawamura acknowledges his bad habits and gets down on his knees to apologize. "Well, there's no need to be so—I don't even know how to describe you right now."

In the following days, Sawamura makes it a point to distance himself from his mentor. This means no more baths together, meals together, or catch together, and it dawns on Chris just how routine everything was before the freshman came into his life. Just great, Chris, _now_ you care.

He finds the freshman in the bullpen that night, sprawled on the ground and softly snoring away. The chafed skin at the tips of Sawamura's fingers tells him the pitcher's been practicing more than usual.

"What did I tell you about taking care of your body?"

Chris picks him up and proceeds to carry Sawamura back to the dorm, making a mental note to come up with a better diet plan for him because he is far too light. Chris also notes that there might be something wrong with him because he can't stop smiling when he glances down at the sleeping boy's face.


	8. human pillow

It's a lazy afternoon for the Seidou baseball team as a sudden downpour makes it impossible to hold practice. For reasons that currently escape Eijun, he's been spending his free time with Miyuki in one of the empty classrooms. The catcher's curled up on his side on the floor, his head resting on Eijun's lap, much to the pitcher's chagrin. But the worst part, at least to Eijun, is how he can't bring himself to really hate the situation.

It's ironic how Miyuki is a large part of why he came to Seidou in the first place yet they've only ever formed a battery once, and that one time wasn't even in an official game. It's unreasonable to hate Furuya for being assigned to him but Eijun's never been one for logical reasoning, and _come on_, if Miyuki's going to catch anyone's pitches it should be his.

"Stupid Miyuki. Why won't you catch my pitches?" Eijun grumbles to himself.

"It's Miyuki-_senpai_, Sawamura. You keep forgetting I'm older than you." Miyuki stretches out his arm and pinches Eijun's nose, smiling like a kid who just found a new toy.

"I thought you were asleep."

"I keep seeing your dorky face even when I close my eyes. How am I supposed to fall asleep?"

"Then stop using me as a pillow already!"

"Shush. Whoever heard of a talking pillow? And a noisy one at that?"

"You bastard." Miyuki laughs, but it's not the taunting chuckle Eijun is so used to hearing. It's the laugh of somebody who is genuinely amused.

Seidou's star catcher shifts so that he's lying on his back, tilting his head to meet Eijun's eyes. "What are you glaring at me for? I haven't done anything." He proceeds to pinch Eijun's nose again.

"Stop that!" Eijun gripes, swatting away Miyuki's hand as he attempts a third attack. "And I wasn't glaring."

"Yes, you were," he insists weakly, a yawn escaping his mouth. ""Man, I'm tired. I was up all night playing _shogi_ with our captain. He may not look like it but that guy hates to lose."

A comfortable silence passes between them, and somewhere between listening to the sound of the falling rain outside and appreciating the warmth of his human pillow, Miyuki drifts off to sleep. Eijun watches in amusement as Miyuki's smug expression melts away, leaving only the contented smile of a weary person finally getting his due rest.

Miyuki's cologne mingles with the scent of rain wafting in from an open window. There's always something about men's fragrances that Eijun finds unnatural. Or maybe he's just not used to it.

This might be the first time he's been alone with his senpai like this and the first time he's gotten a good look at Miyuki's face. He looks different with his hair down, mainly because Eijun's so used to seeing him with a cap on during a game. His bangs are getting long—a little trim wouldn't hurt. Or maybe a proper haircut is in order; he might even look good with short hair. Wait, since when did he ever think _Miyuki Kazuya_ looked good?

Against his better judgment, Eijun gently slips off Miyuki's glasses, finding it impossible to determine whether he looks better without them or not. Shit, he's really giving himself the creeps now, taking such interest in another guy's face like this.

With nothing to do (because watching another guy sleeping like a crazed stalker is out of the question), Eijun opts to take a nap himself. Let it never be said how he woke up to find his hand intertwined with the catcher's. Some things are better left a mystery.


	9. shut up and keep crying

Kuramochi's eyes sweep over the girl on the television screen, from her sunset hair to her moonlit smile, from the rise and fall of her chest as she breathes to the way she curls her toes and sways on the balls of her feet. She is beautiful—there's just no denying it—and he has to wonder what went wrong with the world that a fine specimen of the female species like her ended up falling for someone like Sawamura Eijun.

"So that's Wakana, huh?"

"Yeah. She and my other friends made this video since they couldn't cheer for me in person. These guys—"Sawamura's voice cracks and, for a second, it looks as though he's fighting back tears. "You ever miss your middle school friends, Senpai?"

"Course I do, Bakamura. Do you even need to ask?"

"Don't call me Bakamura." His retort lacks its usual energy and there's a sad, longing smile on his face as he stares at the screen.

Kuramochi's eyes travel back to the video, where all of Sawamura's friends have gathered in the middle of a park, each one holding a placard with a single letter on it, collectively spelling out "We miss you, Ei-chan." A large, pink heart punctuates the statement, held up by none other than Wakana. It couldn't just be a coincidence, Kuramochi thinks, but Sawamura's too much of an idiot to pick up on hints like that. He feels sorry for her, and it's almost painful to watch the way she smiles at the camera. _Don't waste your smile on him_, he tells her in his mind, _Bakamura doesn't get it._

The video ends and whatever force was keeping Sawamura's emotions in check finally gives out. It's not a pretty sight—he's a blubbering mess when he cries, tears and snot running down his face, his voice reduced to a loud whimpering like a kick puppy's.

"What're you crying about, Bakamura?"

"Nothing."

"Far as I know, people don't just cry for no reason."

"I just—I feel like I betrayed them. We were supposed to go the same school, play in the same baseball team, go to Koshien together…"

He really is an idiot, Kuramochi thinks. His idea of betrayal is so naïve it's almost funny. But it's also so earnest that laughing at him will just make you look like a heartless bastard. Kuramochi has a heart—sure, he constantly calls the little bugger condescending nicknames and inflicts varying degrees of pain on his body, but Kuramochi Youichi has a heart, goddammit!

"What the—Senpai?"

"Shut up and keep crying." Kuramochi has eased himself behind Sawamura, wrapping his arms around the freshman's body, resting his chin on the crook of his collarbone. There's an unsettling moment, at least for Kuramochi, where he considers how well their bodies fit together. "This is the newest wrestling move I've learned." He knows it's a hug and no stupid excuse is going to change that fact but he has to keep _some_ of his pride intact.

"It doesn't really hurt, though."

"I still need to practice it some more, so shut your trap."

Kuramochi doesn't miss the way Sawamura's eyes gravitate toward him and how the ends of the younger boy's lips curl up in a small, smug grin, all while tears continue to stream down the sides of his face. Kuramochi laughs a little, his breath on Sawamura's skin making the latter flinch. How can this kid cry and make fun of him at the same time?

"On second thought, save your tears. We're playing Street Fighter after this and you're gonna cry ten times harder when I beat the crap out of you."


	10. are you smiling?

**I just wanted to get this chapter out of the way. I'm kinda regretting the "multiple pairings" part now. Haha.  
**

**Furuya and Eijun not-really-hating and not-really-trying-to-kill each other.**

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It's one of those lazy weekend mornings that make you feel like the world has stopped for a coffee break, and Furuya's lying on the grass trying to make sense of the shapeless clouds floating by. Most of them look like a catcher's mitt for some reason. Or Miyuki's snickering face. The latter doesn't make for a particularly good morning. Add the musty heat and Furuya wishes he didn't get up so early.

"A Tokyo summer can reach an average of about 29°C."

You know something's wrong when Sawamura, of all people, is spouting textbook trivia. Furuya's never been one for numbers, though; all he knows is he feels like a popsicle in the desert.

"I learned that from my cramming session with Kanemaru, and—Hey, you listenin' to me?"

He lets out a low, guttural moan. Honestly, he can't deal with both the heat _and_ this guy's unlimited bundle of energy, but Furuya's stuck with him for the better part of the day. Times like this he wishes he had more friends his age, even though calling Sawamura a "friend" is already being rather generous.

Sawamura purses his lips. "If you're just gonna sleep, I'm leaving you."

"You're too kind. Don't trip on your way out."

"Bastard. C'mon, I'm bored; let's play catch."

Furuya sighs, and even his breath feels like it's charting at 29°C. "Go bother Chris-senpai or something."

"If I could, I wouldn't be here."

He's too drained from the heat to put up much of a fight, and he finds himself being coaxed by the overzealous boy into the empty field. He's sweating a river even before the first ball is thrown, and the perspiration makes the glove and his clothes cling to his skin. Sawamura laughs at the way Furuya keeps grimacing.

"It's not _that_ hot." Apparently Sawamura's never experienced thermal shock before. Hokkaido summers were never this bad.

Sawamura unconsciously uses his new form whenever he throws the ball, and for the first time Furuya realizes why this guy deserves a spot in the regulars. Being a southpaw—a left-handed pitcher—is already advantageous, but his form makes it so that his entire left arm is concealed by his body as he winds up, and by the time you see the ball's release and notice its trajectory, you have very little time to react. Furuya learns all of this the hard way, as his first encounter with this pitch ends with him getting hit right between the eyes. Sawamura, ever the childish one, laughs his ass off.

"Sorry." His tone is far from being sorry.

Furuya responds with impunity, launching a fastball straight at Sawamura's face, which the latter somehow manages to block with his arm. Damn, the heat is making his throws sluggish.

"You ass, you did that on purpose!"

"It's not like I was particularly aiming at your face. Any part will do."

What was supposed to be a friendly game of catch escalates into target practice, and Furuya doesn't even care about the weather anymore. He ducks to avoid Sawamura's pitch and retaliates with a shot of his own, hitting him square in the chest. Resigning himself to the fact that Furuya has better control (and, thus, better aim) than him, Sawamura has taken to awkwardly using a tree for cover, lobbing balls whenever an opportunity presents itself.

Their battle continues for most of the morning, ending with no clear winner only because Haruno and the other managers arrive and give them a stern talking-to about using the team's equipment without permission.

"Well, that was fun," Sawamura says, partly sarcastic and partly honest, picking stray leaves off his hair.

Furuya's drenched in sweat and breathing heavily, his right arm hurting because who thought it was a good idea to start throwing without warming up? But the funny thing is he's not as annoyed as he expected to be. "I guess."

"Yeah, I thought you wouldn't think so—Wait, what?" Sawamura's head jerks in his direction like a compass needle to north. "Say that again?"

"Nothing."

"No, you definitely said it was fun."

"You're hearing things. Did I hit you in the ear? My bad."

"Are you _smiling_? For real? Heh, you're actually smiling!"

Furuya sighs, lying back down on the grass. The clouds in the sky look like Sawamura's face now. God, he really wishes he didn't get up so early.

* * *

**Sorry if I don't reply all the time. Just know I appreciate all the feedback you give me. And thanks for continuing to read this. :)**


	11. two-track mind

**Wrote this in about half an hour when I couldn't sleep so sorry for any mistakes. Might edit later.**

* * *

Neither of them knows how, exactly, they got there. Eijun vaguely remembers the team's plan to meet up at the school's indoor pool and Miyuki's absurd promise to give him mouth-to-mouth if he drowns, but everything after that is a blur. He thinks he suggested a shortcut somewhere down the road and, well, Eijun swears there wasn't a muddy field here before. Right now he can only be certain of two things: being ankle-deep in mud is an unpleasant experience, and Chris makes the _funniest_ faces when he's uncomfortable.

"The mud is inside my socks." Chris can't decide whether to frown or grimace. "Stop laughing, Sawamura."

"Sorry, you just look… Uh, 'cute' is really the only way I can put it."

"Please don't call me cute."

Eijun apologizes but he's not really sorry because he's only telling the truth, after all—Chris is all sorts of adorable when he narrows his eyes and wrinkles his nose in disgust, like a kid who got his first taste of vegetables and instantly hated it. Eijun knows that feeling well.

Eijun watches in amused silence as Chris struggles to kick the mud out of his shoes only to lose his balance and fall on his rear. The older boy blinks a few times, as if processing what just happened, before scowling. Eijun tries his best not to laugh—which means he doesn't try at all—and something about his raucous behavior flips a switch in Chris' brain.

"Sawamura, come here."

"What?"

Eijun has precious few seconds to look confused before Chris is grabbing one of his arms and dragging him down. He nosedives. Right into the muddy ground. And it's on his face _get it off._

Chris laughs at him—a rare, genuine moment that makes him sound his age—and Eijun thinks his laugh is awkward and clunky, as if he hasn't done it in ages, but somehow sounds perfect for a guy like him. Eijun wipes the mud off his face and he has to smile at a Chris who's doubling over and clutching his sides from laughing too hard. This is how his Chris-senpai should look like: young and playful and not weighed down by injuries or expectations.

"Sorry," Chris says, a few terse chuckles still betraying his mouth. "You alright, Sawamura?"

Eijun cups a handful of soil and smears it all over the catcher's cheek. "I am now," he declares haughtily. Chris' expression is somewhere between outraged and amused, and Eijun realizes too late what he has done. One of these days he's going to learn to think before doing something. "Oh crap. I didn't meant to, Senpai. I just—"

A ball of mud launched at his forehead shuts Eijun up mid-sentence. Chris is laughing again and Eijun thinks he really should do that more often. Laughing, he means; not hurling dirt in his face.

**-o-o-o-**

Neither of them knows how, exactly, they ended up back in the dormitory or how Eijun managed to rope Chris into taking a bath together. Eijun remembers one of their teammates finding them. Miyuki most likely, if only because Miyuki has some sort of radar for embarrassing situations.

The two of them had been a messy tangle of limbs. "You guys look like a horror movie," Kuramochi remarks, his trademark cackle following shortly after. Sure, if horror movies used mud instead of blood and idiot teens instead of actual actors.

"I can't believe you guys were here, wrestling in the fucking mud, while we were worried sick and looking for you!" squawks Jun, exhibiting immense self-control by not clonking them on the head.

Chris doesn't even try to offer an excuse. Tetsu goes about placating Jun's rage and Ryosuke shoots both of them a knowing look. Or at least they assume it's a knowing look; you can never tell with the way Ryosuke keeps his eyes lidded. Miyuki would tease them about it for a week or so—that much is to be expected—but at the end of the day their only offense is missing their team's little swimming get-together. There'd be other opportunities for that.

Eijun purrs when he feels Chris' hands on his back.

"Sawamura, please don't make such ungodly sounds when I touch you."

"Sorry," Eijun says sheepishly. He makes a mental note to ask Chris to wash his back more often. "Today was fun, Senpai. We should do it again!"

"I don't want to make a habit of getting mud on my clothes. Or my face. Or my hair. Or anywhere, really."

Eijun manages a tired chuckle. "Then let's just play catch next time."

"Somehow I knew it would all boil down to catch again. You really have a one-track mind, don't you?"

"No, I don't. I have a two-track mind. I think about baseball and I think about you, Chris-senpai,"

For the second time today an invisible switch goes off in Chris' brain. He gives himself a moment to acknowledge Sawamura's uncanny talent to get him worked up before unceremoniously dumping a basin of water over the pitcher's head.

* * *

**This sounded cuter (and more coherent) in my head. I blame the lack of sleep.  
**


	12. write my name properly

I drew fan art for the previous chapter. Anyone interested can find the link on my profile. My DA account is otherwise empty; I just made it yesterday.

Silly chapter featuring a new person.

* * *

Now, Sawamura's known for doing stupid things at the drop of a hat, but at least he usually has a good reason. Like when he asked Kanemaru to watch a chick flick with him because he thought anything above PG-13 was either an action movie or a horror one (Kanemaru had actually enjoyed the show, but like most things, he's not going to admit to that). Or the time he hugged Kanemaru for minutes on end while the other boy was choking because he thought that was how the Heimlich maneuver was done (Kanemaru insists that he was only flustered because of the lack of oxygen). But this? This isn't stupid; this is unnecessary.

"Why do we even study this, anyway?" Sawamura complains, twirling the brush between his index and middle fingers. He's surprisingly good at that.

Kanemaru takes one look at him and rolls his eyes. Who was it that begged him for help with calligraphy? That's right—Sawamura. So Sawamura has no right to complain or point out the meaninglessness of the subject because Kanemaru thinks calligraphy is a waste of time, too, but he's at least polite enough not to say it out loud and—what was he thinking about again? One of these days he's going to learn to stop mentally ranting.

He sits down on the _tatami_ beside Sawamura, taking in his surroundings. The room is littered with discarded shirts and empty pudding containers. A poster of that girl from Street Fighter, the one in the Chinese-looking outfit, is hanging on the wall. What was her name again—Chun-Pee or something? No doubt Kuramochi-senpai's. The clock on the wall reads 7 P.M. Sawamura's roommates won't be back for another two hours at the very least; they love their little go-and-bother-Miyuki-in-his-room sessions.

Kanemaru stifles a yawn. He'd been up late last night studying for a History exam only to find out it was postponed till next week, and he had desperately wanted to catch up on sleep but then Sawamura happened. Speaking of.

He cranes his neck, glancing over the other boy's shoulder to peer at his work. He can see why he would be failing the subject—Sawamura's handwriting is atrocious, to put it nicely.

"What the heck is that supposed to be?" Kanemaru asks, not sure if really wants to know the answer.

"Your name. It's Shinji, right?"

"Yeah, but why my name? And that thing…" His right eye involuntarily twitches at the sight of the scribble. "Is that even Japanese?"

"Of course it's Japanese! And I'm writing your name because you didn't tell me _what_ to write. You're bad at this whole teaching thing, you know."

This ungrateful little—Kanemaru breathes out a sigh of frustration. Calm down, he told himself. Chris-senpai entrusted you with the job of looking after this idiot's academics. Time for some reverse psychology.

"If I'm so bad at it then I'm not going to teach you anymore. See ya, Sawamura." He gets up and makes for the door, but Sawamura is quick to grab both his hands, the sudden action taking Kanemaru by surprise and making him trip over his own feet. They topple and crash to the floor, a messy heap of limbs.

"Don't go! I was kidding!" Sawamura screams, his face uncomfortably close to Kanemaru's. Well, at least the reverse psychology worked."I'm gonna fail! You don't want me to fail, right? C'mon, Shinji~!"

"Don't use my first name, damn you. And if you're gonna write it, write it properly. Kanji for _believe_ and _two_, respectively."

"Okay!" Such a simple-minded person. Kanemaru sighs again; it's going to be a long night. He tries to push the energetic boy off him but realizes his hands are still interlocked with Sawamura's.

"You can let go of my hands now. I'm not going anywhere."

"Oh, sorry." Sawamura smiles bashfully.

Not cute. _Definitely_ not cute.

Kanemaru tries to make small talk to keep himself from falling asleep, but it gets frustrating after the first five minutes because Sawamura assumes every question is an invitation to tell his life story. Kanemaru doesn't want to hear about when Sawamura was five years old and he "accidentally" kissed some girl named Wakana, or how that doesn't count as a first kiss because they didn't know what it meant. Or the time Sawamura got lost in a festival and somehow ended up for sale in some crazy merchant's stall. Or anything about Chris-senpai. Oh God-Buddha-Zeus, don't make him talk about Chris-senpai.

"Shinji, how's this?"

"Don't call me Shinji. And it sucks; write my name properly."

This is how Sawamura spends the better part of the night learning how to write one thing and one thing only—Kanemaru's name—and how Kanemaru falls asleep listening to the sound of Sawamura's inane rambling about why Miyuki is a bastard and why Furuya is a weirdo. And if Sawamura gets another failing mark on his next calligraphy assignment? Well, at least he'll know how to write the name of the person to blame. As for Kanemaru, he doesn't even want to know why he woke up with whiskers and a goatee drawn on his face or why Sawamura is sleeping beside him, using his arm as a pillow.

* * *

**To PeanutJellyBar: **Aww, thanks for reading and glad you enjoyed it. :) I'll try my best to update this regularly.


	13. emotionless bastard

**Quick chapter before going to sleep. Unedited. Sorry for any mistakes.**

* * *

It feels like Eijun has said everything there is to say, but Chris stands there, quietly watching, lips upturned in a way that's not quite a smile, and Eijun knows he's waiting for it. It catches in his throat, that stupid word Eijun wishes he never learned. There is nothing _good_ about goodbyes, and he wishes Chris would just turn around and walk away already because he really needs to cry and there's _no way_ he's doing it in front of him. Not again.

Eijun raises his head, meets Chris' eyes and tries to imagine heading off to practice without having those same pair of eyes watching him, catching the tiniest inconsistencies in his form or grip—Chris can be such a perfectionist when he wants to be. He tries to imagine strategy meetings without the sound of the Chris Memo's pages turning; tries to imagine just _one_ morning when he doesn't greet his _senpai_ and see him roll his eyes, wordlessly wondering why they go through this every single day.

He tries and he fails.

"Sawamura?" He hates Chris' voice right now, so kind and tender, making Eijun desperate to cling to his presence even more. "What's wrong?"

"Don't leave, Chris-senpai," Eijun pleads, words tumbling off his mouth before his brain can even register them.

The next few seconds are a blur, but Eijun remembers strong, warm arms around his body and Chris telling him it'll be alright. And Eijun finds himself thinking everything might just turn out okay.

He might've said goodbye some time after that, but he's not sure. Everyone's an emotional wreck and the sadness is contagious, so much so that half the time Eijun doesn't even know what he's moping about, let alone what he's doing.

But Eijun makes sure to burn several images into his memory: Haruichi turning almost as pink as his hair when his brother wraps an arm around his shoulder and snaps a photo. "I'll have this framed and on my college dorm's wall," Ryousuke says. Masuko giving Kuramochi the most painful headlock Eijun has ever seen. "Remember this pain the next time you feel like bullying your _kouhai_," Masuko tells his former roommate good-naturedly. Tanba and Chris monopolizing a corner of the room and just talking, Tanba laughing while tears stream down his face, and Eijun doesn't even have to try to remember this one—he knows Tanba's expression has been etched into his mind whether he likes it or not.

Jun goes around awkwardly hugging everyone until he's face-to-face with Tetsu. He breaks down and tackles his shogi-loving friend, staining his shirt with tears. Tetsu shakes his head and traps the loud boy in his arms, stating, "This is why you don't have a girlfriend." Everyone laughs despite the situation.

The process of saying goodbye is long. Eijun wonders if all the underclassmen combined could grab the hands of time and slow it down, even for just a little while, just enough time to make a few more memories with these people. Just one more game of catch with Chris. One more match with Tetsu. One more shouting contest with Jun. Just one more day with everyone.

A voice from behind him breaks Eijun's train of thought. "You look stupid. Well, _more_ stupid than usual."

Sleek arms are slung around his shoulders in a lazy hug, and Eijun tilts his head back to see Miyuki—all four eyes of his—looking down at him. If it were any other day he'd be shoving the catcher off by now, but today he doesn't mind the physical contact. He might even need it. God knows his legs are barely keeping him upright and his eyes are hurting from the burden of the tears he's holding back.

"It's alright to cry, Sawamura," Miyuki tells him. "Just tell me beforehand so I can get my camera ready."

"You jerk," Eijun retorts weakly. "You can cry, too, you know."

"I'm not really the crying type."

"Emotionless bastard."

"Thanks."

"That wasn't a compliment!"

He leans closer to Miyuki, resting his head on the crook of the older boy's collarbone. He doesn't even care that some of their teammates are eyeing them suspiciously.

"Come to my room tonight if you're feeling lonely," Miyuki whispers in his ear. "I have the place all to myself now."

"Then aren't _you_ the one who's lonely?"

"Maybe," Miyuki says in a childish, sing-song manner. "You'll have to pay me a visit if you wanna find out."

**-o-o-o-**

Jump to later that night in Miyuki's room, and Eijun finds himself lying in bed with the catcher despite his better judgment. It's a tight fit—the bed was obviously never meant for two people—but Eijun manages to shift to fit the mold of Miyuki's body. Miyuki's hug is harsher this time, more desperate, as if he's hanging on to Eijun for dear life. And all Eijun can do is keep quiet, even when Miyuki's fingers dig into his skin and he knows there are going to be bruises there when morning comes.

They fall asleep like this, and Eijun may or may not have been dreaming when he heard Miyuki crying.


	14. a little bit crowded

**Sorry I haven't updated in what feels like forever (hey, it does to me). I got sick and then I couldn't write anything decent. I ended up writing over 6,000 words worth of rejected ideas hahaha.**

* * *

Sometimes, when the teacher stops mid-lecture and calls the attention of the boy sitting behind her, she instinctively whirls around and wags an accusatory finger at him, ready to say "Eijun, you forgot your homework _again_?" Then she realizes it's someone else. Then she remembers Eijun is far away.

Wakana likes to think she isn't the type to selfishly cling to things. Even the fanciest clothes and the prettiest flowers fade over time, so really, becoming too attached is just setting herself up for disappointment. But she also likes to think Eijun is a special exception. She spends half her life getting used to this guy—putting up with his brand of foolishness and even growing to like it—then she wakes up one day to escort him to the train station. And then the train's doors are closing and Wakana's emotions sucker punch her. Hard.

She wonders if he's even aware of it. How he's slowly but surely—and perhaps unintentionally—leaving behind his previous life. The first few weeks that they exchange messages are what she fondly remembers as the "I miss you" weeks, the times when Eijun feels the overwhelming need to remind her every ten minutes how much he wants to go home and how everything in Seidou is different and how he hates it.

**EIJUN: **The coach is a sunglass jerk, my roommate is a wrestling bastard, and nobody takes me seriously! WAKANA, THIS IS A DREAM, RIGHT? I didn't get on that train, right?

**EIJUN:** Now that I think about it, you and Kuramochi-senpai would totally get along. You both like picking on me.

**EIJUN:** Yeah, Wakana, you pick on me and don't try to deny it. Remember that time with the flashlights and the sheets? I had nightmares for a week! Meanie. (I miss you guys)

**EIJUN:** I am NOT crying SHUT UP!

This is a lie. Eijun is a bigger crybaby than her and that's saying something. Though she quickly hates herself for putting "Eijun" and "cry" in the same line of thought because she's remembering that time at the station for the umpteenth time and her eyes are getting misty again.

Eventually the "I miss you" weeks progress to the "I'm doing fine" weeks. This is when Eijun starts adjusting to his new surroundings, and while he continues to complain because he's _still_ running with a tire strapped to his waist and he's been assigned an eccentric catcher, the tone of his messages suggests he's remembering what it is he came to Seidou for in the first place.

**EIJUN:** I don't know what that Chris guy's problem is but I don't like him. You should see his eyes, they're creepy as hell!

**EIJUN:** So Miyuki got mad at me today because I said some things about that guy. And now Takashima-san is taking me to see Chris for some reason. What is with everyone taking his side? Someone who has no heart for baseball should just quit the team, right?

**EIJUN:** What do you mean I'm an idiot and I should apologize?

**EIJUN:** You were right. I'm an idiot, Wakana. A big freaking idiot who mouths off at a third-year without even understanding the whole situation. I don't deserve someone like Chris-senpai. Sorry, I have to put down the phone for a bit or I'll start crying again.

**EIJUN:** Hey, I know it's probably way too early but I just read your messages from last night and… Well… Thanks. Really, thanks for cheering me up! (And if you get any weird pick-up lines after this then it's Kuramochi-senpai trying to make me look stupid)

By the time Wakana realizes Eijun has finally found his place in the school and in the team, she has developed this mindset where Sawamura Eijun is now in an entirely different plane of existence. Of course she's happy for him, happy he made the first-string and now gets to play in official games, but it wouldn't hurt if he asked about his middle school friends every now and then. She likes hearing about his teammates and she thinks they're all wonderful people, but it would be nice if he asked about her. It would be nice if he thought about her.

**EIJUN:** This is gonna sound weird but I like seeing Chris-senpai smile.

**EIJUN:** And hearing him say that I'm part of the reason that he can do it makes it even better.

**EIJUN:** I should stop talking about it before I get a big head or, worse, start saying stupid things. Like, I dunno, calling him cute or something. HE IS NOT CUTE, BY THE WAY.

**EIJUN:** Wakana?

**EIJUN**: You still there?

**EIJUN:** Oh, I guess you're busy studying or something. Sorry to bother you. Guess this is an early good night then. Don't stay up too late.

**-o-o-o-**

**EIJUN:** Hey, you haven't mailed me in, like, forever. Are you mad? Did I forget your birthday again?

**EIJUN:** I checked my phone and your birthday isn't till another month. I even borrowed sticky notes from Chris-senpai to remind myself and you know how I hate sticky notes.

**EIJUN:** Chris-senpai has the cutest sticky notes. They're shaped liked a catcher's mitt. I need to ask him where he bought it.

**EIJUN:** He blushed when I called them cute.

**EIJUN:** I'm using the word "cute" a lot lately. Excuse me while I do something manly like beating Kuramochi-senpai in Tekken.

**EIJUN:** Okay, I lost. Using Xiaoyu is UNFAIR.

**EIJUN:** It's really hot. I want ice pops. You like the strawberry ones, right? I miss eating ice pops with you.

**EIJUN:** WAKANA TALK TO MEEEEEEEEE

Wakana laughs when she finally gets around to reading his messages—she hadn't been in the mood to deal with him the past few days. Here she is foolishly worrying about drifting apart while Eijun is busy man-crushing on an upperclassman. Yes, he is totally crushing; she has been with that guy long enough to know subtlety is not in his vocabulary. Well, a lot of words are not in Eijun's vocabulary, but that's not the point.

She makes up an excuse about being busy with exams.

**EIJUN:** Wow, now I feel like an idiot for spamming your inbox.

**EIJUN:** Sorry 'bout that.

**EIJUN:** But I was serious about the ice pop thing.

It doesn't take her long to convince herself that Eijun isn't the type of guy to forget his friends. The fact that he still remembers what flavor of ice pops she likes despite having been _years_ since they last ate one together proves that she, at the very least, is worth a place in his memory. Now if she can only find out if she's worth a place in his heart. Though, judging by the amount of messages she gets describing their captain's "perfect skin" and Miyuki's "sickeningly pretty face," it might be a little bit crowded in there.

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**Thank you to all the people who left a review last chapter (this is way overdue) and to those that followed/faved.**


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